Wine & Spirits - February 2013 - (Page 61)

YEAR’S BEST ARGENTINE MALBEC Our blind panels tasted 176 new-release malbec wines and blends from Argentina over the past 12 months. Patricio Tapia, our critic for Argentine wines, rated 49 as exceptional (90+) and 20 as Best Buys. Find a complete list of wines tasted and all reviews at wineandspiritsmagazine.com. Malbec 108473 2010 Patagonia J. Alberto Single Vineyard ^ Noemía first started making this wine in 2001 from a vineyard planted in 1955. This vintage is a complete departure from earlier bottlings: Río Negro was cold and windy in 2010, especially in autumn at harvest, so rather than focusing on the richness of malbec’s sweet fruit, this wine emphasizes a linear structure, its flavors arching like an arrow over the palate. Tense with acidity, this is refreshing malbec, precisely ripened to juicy Morello cherry flavors and floral notes of violets. Cellar it for at least five years. (W&S, 6/12) § Vias Imports, NY 109285 2009 Mendoza Malbec ^ Give this time in the glass and its aromas of red fruit develop complex notes of violets and leather. The flavors are powerful, with enough acidity and firm tannins to sustain it. It leaves a smooth sweetness in the finish, inviting another sip. This malbec comes from the highest elevations in Agrelo, rising to 3,600 feet, and is a serious candidate for the cellar. Give it at least five years. § (W&S, 10/12) § Vine Connections, Sausalito, CA 109340 2007 Mendoza Firmado Malbec ^ Delicious in its depth of flavor—from cherry confit to black olive—this wine’s austere structure suggests cellaring it. Or decant it and the earthy side develops, adding clarity to the fruit. This is a selection of old vines, some more than 70 years old, in Luján de Cuyo. § (W&S, 10/12) § Dreyfus, Ashby & Co., NY 109942 94 | Noemía $53 from vines planted in 1906 in Drummond, this needs at least five years in the cellar to reach its optimal complexity. § Dangerous Wine Group, Washington, DC 109298 93 | La Posta $18 93 | Añoro 2010 Ugarteche Angel Paulucci Vineyard Malbec ^ In a world of superripe malbec, once in a while we come across a wine that emphasizes red fruit and tense acidity—without giving up the weight and structure that would place it with the meats of an Argentine asado. This is a selection of vines planted at the end of the 1960s in Mendoza, and 2010 may be the best vintage this site has produced to date. § (W&S, 10/12) § Vine Connections, Sausalito, CA 108528 2009 Tupungato Climax Malbec ^ Zorzal purchases the grapes for this wine from Sophenia’s vineyards, which are now 14 years old, some of the oldest in Gualtallary. In 2009, they produced a wine of such clarity that it commands attention: It’s concentrated and powerful in its structure and depth, yet it maintains a youthful simplicity and charm in its refreshing violet and spice notes. The acidity and tannins interlace in a pointedly sharp structure, needing another four years in the cellar to mellow and evolve. (W&S, 6/12) § Brazos, NY; Delectatio Wines, Magnolia, TX 108532 2010 Tupungato Malbec (Best Buy) ^ This grows at an eight-year-old vineyard near the Zorzal winery in Gualtallary; at 4,500 feet, the vines look straight up to the snowy peaks of the Andes. Gualtallary’s calcareous soils show their influence in the structure of the wine, tense with firm tannins, focused on the flavor of fresh-picked cherries. A delicious malbec that doesn’t resort to wood or hyperconcentration, it seduces instead with its fresh fruit and a solid structure that will stand up to the most powerful cuts of meat. (W&S, 6/12) §Brazos, NY; Delectatio Wines, Magnolia, TX 109341 2006 Luján de Cuyo Limited Edition Malbec ^ Scents of tobacco give way to sour cherry and earthy notes as this wine takes on air. The structure is tense, the tannins woven into a tight fabric. Decant it for a thick steak. § (W&S, 10/12) § Dreyfus, Ashby & Co., NY 109372 2010 Mendoza Lunta Malbec ^ Scents of violets lead into a strong heart of cherry and mineral flavor in this untamed malbec, intensely red in its fruit and powerful in its tannins. A young wine—almost electric in its energy—with a great future ahead, Lunta is Mendel’s simplest malbec, grown at a vineyard planted in 1928. § (W&S, 10/12) § Vine Connections, Sausalito, CA 108872 2006 Patagonia Cubas Malbec ^ A traditional style of malbec from Argentina, this is made without new wood, aging in 6,000liter casks. Extended aging has matured the wine to nutty flavors with firm acidity, building to notes of dried cherries and flowers that explode on the palate. § (W&S, 6/12) § Worthwhile Wine Co., Atlanta, GA 110451 92 | Enrique Foster $47 92 | Mendel $20 $25 93 | Zorzal $40 92 | Valle Perdido $35 92 | Zorzal $14 93 | Enrique Foster $93 93 | Zorzal $14 2011 Tupungato Terroir Unico Gualtallary Malbec (Best Buy) ^ A clear expression of the calcareous soils of Gualtallary, this malbec has a chalk line distinguishing its texture, as well as fresh scents of violets and herbs. At its base, there’s a core of red cherry flavor to focus the wine on its fruity, juicy side. A simple red with a great sense of place. § Brazos, NY; Delectatio Wines, Magnolia, TX 107967 2008 Mendoza Argentino Malbec ^ Soft, subtle fig and violet scents meld in this sweet malbec, its texture as creamy as ganache. It opens to reveal a cooler tone of cherries, refreshing the palate. Roast duck will highlight the voluptuous texture. § (W&S, 6/12) § Winebow, NY 107965 93 | Lagarde 91 | Catena Zapata $140 $49 2010 Mendoza Primeras Viñas Malbec ^ In this, the third edition of Primeras Viñas, a cool season in Mendoza gives a certain nerve to the fruit, while the character follows the path of previous vintages: a fruit liquor scent intoxicating in its depth, a penetrating flavor, generous texture and pointedly firm tannins lending classic cut to the structure. Produced WINE & SPIRITS FEBRUARY 2013 61 http://www.wineandspiritsmagazine.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - February 2013

Wine & Spirits - February 2013
Editor’s Note
Happenings
Contents
Fined & Filtered
Austral Spirits
Petite Conversion
Sydney’s Sommelier Hangouts
Pinot Noir at the 46th Parallel
Extreme Patagonia
W&S Centerfold – Kimchi & Red Wine
Extreme Values
Introduction
Rhône Valley Reds & Whites
US Syrah
US Zinfandel
Catalan Wines
Chilean Cabernet & Carmenère
Argentine Malbec & Blends
American New Releases
Imported New Releases
New Books

Wine & Spirits - February 2013